Resilient flap element for switch apparatus



Dec. 27, 1966 G. A. HILL FLAP ELEMENT FOR SWITCH APPARATUS 2Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. l, 1965 faniela-LW l L W L d H R mA ,1m NEV NEGB R MR m FO: .m

l Ma Dec. 27, 1966 G. A. HILL 3,294,927

FLAP ELEMENT FOR SWITCH APPARATUS Filed Feb. l, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR GEORGE A. HILL MM2/y Mr ATTORNEYS United States Patent O3,294,927 RESILIENT FLAP ELEMENT FOR SWITCH APPARATUS George A. Hill,3393 Fairmont Road, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Filed Feb.1, 1965, Ser. No. 429,313 Claims. (Cl. 200-5) This invention relates toelectrical switch apparatus for controlling electrical circuits.

The automation of industrial .apparatus and the consequent necessity forcentralized control both of processes and the apparatus, have resultedin the use of extensive electrical circuitry controllable by means of amultiplicity of electrical switches usually mounted on a single console.These consoles and switches Vassociated therewith are usually expensiveto manufacture 'and install and, in view of the fact that the elementsof the switches are usually raised above the console, some of theswitches may be accidentally moved during fthe movement of a selectedswitch element. It is also to be found that the switches usually havetheir contact point hidden from view and therefore in the event oftheirmalfunction the operator may not know that one of the switches isdefective. The present invention seek-s to overcome the objection of thestandard former switches by providing a switch apparatus which isinexpensive to produce, and in which the movable elements of the switchare so located that they are not likely to be accidentally moved.

The present invention also provides `a switch apparatus in which .thecontact elements themselves are always in view and make defectiveoperation of any of them quickly apparent.

The present invention further provides a switch apparatus in which themovable elements may be located close together, a feature which willenable the construction of compact switch consoles and therefore eicientcontrol of a multiplicity of electrical circuits.

The present invention comprises a pair of resilient ap elements eachiixedly mounted at one of their ends on spaced supports `and xedlyswingable in the same plane, said elements normally extending towardsand parallel to each other with a free end portion of one of themoverlapping :a free end portion -of the other, the overlapping elementbeing adapted to be swingably moved against .the overlapped element tomove the latter out of the path of the former to thereby permit theoverlapped element to return to its normal position ahead ot theoverlapping element, and electrical switch contact means operativelyassociated with the flap elements for movement between open and closedpositions as overlapped disposition of said flap e-lements is reversed.

In the drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention,

FIGURE 1 is a view of a form of switch console having a multitude lofswitches of one embodiment of this invention,

FIGURE 2 is a section along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 illustrating oneembodiment of the switch apparatus,

FIGURES 3 and 4 illustrate the operation of the embodiment of the switchof FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 5 illustrates `a diierent type of console from that illustratedin FIGURE l, utilizing the switch of FIG- URE 2,

FIGURE `6 is a section taken along line 6-6 of FIG- URE 5, and

FIGURE 7 illustrates another embodiment of the switch apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, specifically to FIGURES 1 to 4 thereof, thereis illustrated one embodiment 10 of the switch apparatus.

3,294,927 Patented Dec. 27, 1966 ICS Switch apparatus 10 is preferablyformed of a single sheet 11 composed of a stiff non-conductive material,such as a thermoplastic, and which is provided with a series of rows ofelongated rectangular apertures 12. This sheet 11 forms the base for theswitch console, each of the apertures 12 being formed for the purpose ofproviding -operative space for individual switch elements as hereinafterto be described.

FIGURES 2 to 4 illustrate suc-h an individual switch element 15 `andcomprises a pair of tongues or aps 17 and 18 secured on opposite sidesof the sheet and at opposite ends of the apertures 12. These tongues areformed of a stiiy resilient electro-conductive material, such `asphosphor-bronze, each of them being secured at one of their ends to thesheet 11 by rivets 20, and each being of suflicient length that eachextends more than halfway across the aperture so as to overlap theother. Each of the tongues are also a little narrower than the width ofthe aperture so that their free ends may be swung through the aperture.

One side of each of the tongues is provided with a coating of 4nonelectro-conductive material, such as a thermoplastic material, hereindesignated with the number 21, said sides being adjacent surfaces of thetongues when the latter are arranged in their normal position, as shownin FIGURE 2, and to each of the tongues 17 and 18 are connected leads 23of an electrical circuit which, it is con- Itemplated, the switchelement 15 shall control. The other sides of the tongues lmay be coatedwith silver cadmium oxide to ensure positive contact surf-aces.

The operation of the switch apparatus 15 may be best described withreference to FIGURES 2 to 4, which illustrate in sequence the movementof the tongues 17 and 18 relative to each other between a non contactand contact position. As has been herein'before explained, the tongues17 and 18 in their normal position extend parallel to each other and inplanar parallelism with the sheet, with the non electro-conductivecoating of each of them facing each other so as to ensure that their.electro-conductive surfaces do not make contact. In this position asillustrated in FIGURE 2, the circuit, which the switch element controlsis, or course, open. In order to effect closure of the circuit, tongue17 is swung, preferably with the use of a rod 25 made of `a nonconductive material, such as a thermoplastic, against tongue 18. This,as shown in FIGURE 3, will swing tongue 18 outwardly until the free endsof each of the tongues are clear of each other. Tongue 18 will, byreason of its resiliency, sn-ap back to a normal position ahead oftongue 17, and then by simply relieving the pressure on tongue 17, thelatter tongue will then attempt to return to its normal position and, indoing so, will press upon tongue 1S, both tongues assuming a position asshown in FIGURE 4. It will be seen in this position that theirelectro-conductive surfaces are pressed tightly together, therebyclosing the circuit which they control.

In order to return the circuit to an open position, the above proceduremay simply be reversed, that is, by pressing tongue 18 against tongue 17until both their free ends Iare clear of each other to allow tongue 17to again return to its normal position with its non conductive coating21 facing the non conductive coating of tongue 18.

FIGURES 5 and 6 illustrate another embodiment 3@ of the switchapparatus. Switch apparatus 30 comprises a thin sheet 33 of nonelectro-conductive material, such as thermoplastic or the like, which isto serve as the base for the switch apparatus. Secured over this sheet33 and in planar parallelism therewith, is a disc 3S again formed of adielectric material, such as thermoplastic or the like'. This disc isnon rotatably mounted on a shaft 36, one end 37 of which extends throughthe sheet 33 and the 3 other end 38 of which is provided with a knob4t). A washer 42 is fitted over the shaft between the disc and thesheet, and the disc is tightened down over the sheet by a nut 43threaded over the end 37 of the shaft. With this construction, it willbe seen that by rotating the knob, the disc 35 may be rot-ated relativeto the sheet 33.

The disc 35 is provided with a plurality of rectangularly shapedapertures 45 spaced concentrically about the shaft 36 with theirlongitudinal axes extending radially from the latter. The sheet 33 isalso provided with ia series of apertures t6 of the same size asapertures 45, and being spaced concentrically about the shaft 36 and thesame distance outwardly therefrom as apertures 45. It will be seen thatwith this construction, a selected one of the apertures 45 may lbebrought into registry with a selected one of apertures 46.

Both the disc 35 and sheet 33 are provided with tongues or fiaps, thetongues on disc 35 being afforded the numeral 4S and the tongues onsheet 33 being afforded the numeral 5t). The tongues 48 are secured tothe disc 35 in the same manner as tongues 13 are secured to the sheet 11of switch apparatus l0, and are formed of a similar electro-conductivematerial as the latter. Tongues 43 are secured to the disc 35 on itssurface opposite its surface facing the sheet 33, yand extend in theirnormal position in planar parallelism with disc 35 from the radiallyouter end of each of the apertures 45 towards the opposite end of saidapertures, whereas tongues 50 extending from the radially inner end ofthe apertures 46 towards the radially outer ends thereof, and aresecured to sheet 33 on its surface facing disc 35. It is also to 'benoted that the tongues d8 and 50 are of sufficient length that when aselected one of the apertures 45 and 46 are brought into registry, saidtongues will overlap each other at their free ends.

The tongues 48 are provided on their surfaces facing the sheet 33 with anon electro-conductive coating, and the tongues 50 are similarly coatedon their surfaces facing the disc 35, and each of the' tongues isconnected by leads, not shown, in an electrical circuit which, it isintended, the switch apparatus shall control.

The tongues 48 and 5t?, as hereinbefore noted, extend parallel to eachother with their non electro-conductive surfaces facing each other so asto ensure open circuit. When it is desired to close `a specific circuit,it is only necessary to rotate disc to a position in which one of thetongues 48 is located over a selected one of the tongues 5t) of thesheet 33. The relative positions of tongues 48 and tongues 5t) are thenchanged by the use of a thin non conductive rod in the same manner astongues 17 and 1S of switch apparatus 10 are changed so as to bringtheir electro-conductive surfaces into contact with each other. It willbe seen that when the positions of the tongues are reversed in themanner hereinbefore described, the tongue 4S of disc 35 will extendtowards the adjacent aperture 46 in sheet 33, whereas tongue 5@ of thesheet 33 will extend into the adjacent aperture d5 of disc 35. With oneof the switch elements in this position, it will be seen that the discand sheet are interlocked against relative rotational movement so as toprevent accidental opening of the circuit which has been closed by thereversal of the selected tongues as hereinbefore mentioned.

FIGURE 7 illustrates another form or embodiment 60 of the apparatus.However, in apparatus 6i) two sheets 61 and 62 of a thin stifflyresilient non electro-conductive material is used. These sheets 61 and62 each have a plurality of U-shaped elongated tongues or flaps formedinternally thereof, the tongues or flaps being formed by making a seriesof U-shaped cuts in the material. tongues or flaps 63 in each of thesheets 61 and 62 are arranged in rows similar to the manner in which theswitch elements 15 of apparatus 16 are arranged, and the sheets arefastened back to back with the tongue of one of them extending in anopposite direction to and overlapping the free end portion of the tongueof the other.

The

4. The sheets 61 and 62 are relatively located so that the aperturesformed, when the tongues are bent out of the plane of their respectivesheets, lie in registery with each other.

Behind the tongues 63 are arranged a pair of normally spaced apartcontact points 65 carried at the free ends of spring arm members 66, thelatter being connected by leads 67 in an electrical circuit which theapparatus 60 is designed to control. The arm members 66 are formed ofspringy electro-conductive material, such as copper or brass, and extendin planar parallelism with the sheets 61 and 62, and are locatedadjacent the tongue 63 in a position whereby, when one of the tongues ismoved outwardly of the plane of its sheet, as shown in FlGURE 7, thefree end of the tongue will contact one of the arms and swing it towardsthe other to thereby close the contact points. The movement of thetongues 63 is again accomplished by way of pressing one of them againstthe other with a rod 68 to a point where their free ends swing clear ofeach other. This will permit the underlying tongue or flap to snap backinto position ahead of the previously overlying flap and, at the sametime, contacting the arms 66 to close the contact points 65. It iscontemplated that the tongues 63 shall have inprinted thereon suitableindicia which may be interchanged during the reversal of overlap of thetongues to provide visual evidence of their reversed condition and ofthe fact that the circuit has been closed.

It is to be noted that switch apparatus 10, 30 and 60 have beenillustrated and described only in their most simplified form and thatmany and varied forms of tongues or flaps may be employed. It istherefore to be understood. that the invention hereinbefore set out isnot limited to its specific construction as hereinbefore described, butshall extend to any form of switch apparatus embodying the broad conceptof reversible overlapping tongue and flap elements.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Electrical switch apparatus comprising a pair of resilient flapelements each xedly mounted at one of its ends on spaced supports andswingable in the same plane, said elements normally extending towardsand parallel to each other with a free end portion of one of themoverlapping a free end portion of the other, the overlapping elementbeing swingably movable against the overlapped element to move thelatter out of the path of the former so as to permit the overlappedelement to return to its normal position ahead of the overlappingelement, and relatively fixed electrical switch contact meansoperatively associated with the flap elements for movement therewithbetween open and closed positions as overlapped disposition of said flapelements is reversed.

2. Electrical switch apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which theelectrical switch contact means comprises a pair of swingably mountedarms having contact elements at their free ends, arranged in the path ofthe flap elements, to move their contact elements together when one ofthe arms is moved by its engagement with one of the fiap elements as theoverlapping disposition of the latter is reversed.

3. Electrical switch apparatus comprising a pair of resilient flapelements each formed of an electro-conductive material and being contactpoints in an electrical circuit and mounted at one of their ends onspaced -supports and swingable in the same plane, said elements normallyextending towards and in spaced planar parallelism to each other with afree end portion of one of them overlapping a free end portion of theother, the overlapping element being swingably movable against theoverlapped element to move the latter out of the path of the former tothereby permit the overlapped element to return to its normal positionahead of the overlapping element, whereby said overlapping element, uponattempting to return to its normal overlapping position, will engage theformerly overlapped element so as to form a closed circuit.

4. Electrical switch apparatus as claimed in claim 3 including a nonelectro-conductive coating on the adjacent surfaces of the ap elementswhen the latter are disposed in their normal position.

5. Electrical switch apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which the apelements are movable laterally of each other and including abutmentmeans associated with one of the ap elements engageable by the other ofthe ap elements to prevent said lateral movement when said elements aremoved from their normal position to a reversed overlapping position.

No references cited.

ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner.

I. R. SCOTT, Assistant Examiner.

1. ELECTRICAL SWITCH APPARATUS COMPRISING A PAIR OF RESILIENT FLAPELEMENTS EACH FIXEDLY MOUNTED AT ONE OF ITS ENDS ON SPACED SUPPORTS ANDSWINGABLE IN THE SAME PLANE, SAID ELEMENTS NORMALLY EXTENDING TOWARDSAND PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER WITH A FREE END PORTION OF ONE OF THEMOVERLAPPING A FREE END PORTION OF THE OTHER, THE OVERLAPPING ELEMENTBEING SWINGABLY MOVABLE AGAINST THE OVERLAPPED ELEMENT TO MOVE THELATTER OUT OF THE PATH OF THE FORMER SO AS TO PERMIT THE OVERLAPPEDELMENT TO RETURN TO ITS NORMAL POSITION AHEAD OF THE OVERLAPPINGELEMENT, AND RELATIVELY FIXED ELECTRICAL SWITCH CONTACT MEANSOPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE FLAP ELEMENTS FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITHBETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS AS OVERLAPPED DISPOSITION OF SAID FLAPELEMENTS IS REVERSED.